Thursday, 1 February 2018

nudity in fashion magazines

British Vogue'sMarch issue has already
been met with divided opinion. Firstly, there is still no sign of the diversity we hoped for under
new editor, Edward Enninful. The Hadid sisters are the most predictable Vogue cover
stars imaginable. Many of the magazine's best covers have featured actual
models and the Hadids have been impactful cover stars of other publications
before, so, in theory, under Enninful’s editorship, the covers could be really
interesting. Sadly, this is not the case. The sisters are styled the same,
which is supposed to be a comment about how British Vogue has “reuinted” them by letting them work together, but it
just comes across as too sentimental for fashion and lazy. Furthermore, the covers
are so heavily photo shopped that Bella is hardly recognisable. Both sisters
have had strong Vogue covers before. Bella's Vogue Italia
cover shot by Inez and Vinoodh stands out. In comparison, this cover is
very dull.

The covers were met with an
eye-roll reaction from most- more skinny white models in the supposedly “new” Vogue. However, the nude photo of the
sisters from inside the magazine is what sparked an internet debate that has
stretched beyond conversation between fashion fans. The argument tends to fall
into one or two camps; "why are they naked when Vogue is
supposed to be a fashion magazine?" and "it's 2018, aren't women
allowed to be naked?"

There are issues with both of
these points. Of course, Vogue is a fashion magazine, but it
also an arts and culture magazine. The editorials are not there just to show
clothes; if they were, every editorial would be a boring studio shoot. The joy
of Vogue is its engagement with wider
culture, and the narrative angle its editorials often have. Besides, there is a
long history of nudity in fashion magazines. Horst P. Horst was taking nude
photographs for Vogue as far back as the 1930s. Nudity and
fashion should not be mutually exclusive. Some of the most iconic and, yes,
empowering editorials feature nudity. The most recent one that comes to mind is
Serena Williams' pregnant Vanity Fair cover shot by Annie Leibovitz.
It was powerful as well as being feminine. Gigi herself posed nude for her first Vogue Paris
cover in February 2016 it was beautiful. Fashion magazines are a place for
women to reclaim ownership of their bodies in a predominantly feminine space. In
2018 magazines can make powerful statements about body positivity and feminism
through nudity. However, the Hadid Vogue image does neither of
these things.

In theory, the Hadids embracing in an expression of sisterly love
is a nice and innocent idea. It could have been executed well, if the shoot had
gone in a more ethereal/Virgin Suicides kind
of direction. Or even if they were both posed in more powerful stances,
reflecting their status as two of the most powerful women in fashion. What we
are left with is something that rests uncomfortably inbetween. The pose is
awkward and that makes it look unnatural.

We shouldn't live in a society
where women's naked bodies are automatically sexualised, but many people have
pointed out the potential creepy readings of the image of two naked sisters
posed in that way. The image has been called "incestuous and
disgusted." I would never go as far as to call it disgusting. There is
nothing "disgusting" about the female body. It has been pointed out
that the photograph was taken by a gay man for a women's magazine edited by a
gay man, but that doesn't remove the sexual undertones of the image. The image
is still taken through the male gaze, even if it is not the heterosexual male
gaze.

The nudity doesn't bring anything new to the magazine. No one is
more natural than when they are naked, but the blatant, heavy photoshopping
conflicts with that. What fashion magazine readers want from nudity has changed.
We want honesty. Vogue Italia have
the right idea with their Gisele cover for their March 2018 issue; natural
hair, no makeup, no photoshop.

What individual women choose to do with their hair/makeup/clothes
is completely up to them, but magazines have an audience to target and we increasingly
expect them to take responsibility for their influence on young girls and
women, and acknowledge that most of the time, that influence is toxic. British Vogue has repeatedly misread what it’s
younger readership want.

As the second issue under Enninful’s editorship to feature models on
the cover, there was scope to be more creative with it. The grey background
alone is dull. Bella and Gigi are stunning, but the images don’t make the most
of their potential. The Hadid image in is weak and that, more than anything,
makes it a target for criticism. The Hadid sisters are beautiful and nudity very
much has a place in fashion magazines, but the photograph doesn’t look like art,
and it does nothing to challenge industry beauty standards.

ABOUT

Hi I’m Sophie. I’m a writer and freelance fashion journalist based in Kent/London. I keep this blog to document my interests and various style inspirations. You can contact me at sophie.wilson09a@hotmail.co.uk